Bob Dylan – Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 Review

Appearances at The Gaslight and Carnegie Hall are two massive pulls for Bob Dylan. These stripped-back pieces often come at times of major change for his work or sound. Those whoops and hollers for the 1963 appearance should be no surprise – many listening in will have headed to sets of their own and done much the same. Deafening this one is not. No need. This is a massive turning point for Dylan, whose opener The Times They Are A-Changin’ is indeed a colourful momentum to spread across the seemingly stunned audience. Folk roots still tug at Dylan’s sleeve, hoping he lingers on them a little longer. That he would – and for much of Live at Carnegie Hall 1963, there is an intense silence and a vocal master which sounds as though it is preaching to an empty room. 

But Dylan at this period could not be any further away from quiet. These are the days on the cusp of an absolute tidal wave of interest – and rightly so. Talk about the right place and the right time, for those in attendance for this display there are some tremendous deep cuts within. Ballad of Hollis Brown works as well as opener The Times They Are A-Changin’ does. More so given the simplicity and tenacity which trickles through, the fear which is laid down by those Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan days. Soft-spoken beauties and the tender acoustics found in Boots of Spanish Leather are of a next-level quality. Listen to these songs at the end of the day – right before you head to sleep. It is where they catch you best. In that moment of easing into a nightly routine, these songs strike best. 

This is not the full picture for the Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 set. Much of it can be found in The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963 for the same reasons The 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 was released – to protect copyright. A shame it is to have this one split into pieces across the Bootleg Series but such is life when hitting back against the laws of the land. This half-hour EP is serviceable and a real delight though the lack of a fully pieced and readily available Carnegie Hall 1963 showcase is a crying shame. Lay Down Your Weary Tune still hums along gently and the transition into North Country Blues is a warm delight. Seek out those other tracks and piece them together – there is likely a Spotify playlist out there in the deep unknown.  

Who knows. What can be heard is the assured tones of With God on Our Side. Dylan has always had an eye on the almighty and this rallying cry, one of many to come from this point in his career, presents a desire to move across America and modernise its view of those within it. God is not on the side of the individual as they may think to themselves. Another remarkable series of observations though this should be no surprise to people well-versed with the works of Dylan. Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 is frustratingly incomplete, scattered across the series of deep dives. But as it stands, a thunderous half-hour of one man and his guitar shakes the Earth with a mighty sense.